Date: 31.08.2021 THE SOUND MACHINE.

Ques. 1.

a) With reference to the story “The Sound Machine” Explain why the doctor felt intrigued and
inquisitive? What explanation did the “strange patient” offer to appease the curious minds of the
doctor? (5)
Answer: The black box just the size of a small coffin, almost three feet in length made the doctor intrigued
and inquisitive. The top of the box being open, it displayed innumerable colourful wires and silver tubes
and the overall complexity of the box roused the intrigue in the doctor. The strange behaviour of the
patient was just the effect of his being caught up too excitedly with the box, which added to the doctor’s
curiosity. His deft handling of the innards of the box, his enthusiasm and rapt attention led the doctor grow
more inquisitive about what the strange patient was trying to achieve.
On an attempt to create a sound machine probably to aid the humans hear the high-pitched
sounds otherwise inaudible to human ears, the “strange patient” offered to appease the curious mind of
the doctor expounding the entire theory behind his innovation of the sound machine.
The human ear does not have the capability to absorb certain high-pitched and low-pitched
sounds, especially the frequency beyond fifteen thousand vibrations a second in particular. To him human
ears are deficient to hear the whole gamut of exciting music, with subtle harmonies and grinding discords
due to the high frequency of notes emitted. The “strange patient” is eager to tap on powerful music
produced by the frequency beyond fifteen thousand vibrations per second, with his sound machine to
enable people to hear the inaudible sounds which would drive them to lunacy if the sounds could be heard
by human ears.
b) Had Klausner’s experiment been a success, how would it have benefitted mankind? (5)
Answer: Being an amateur scientist, Klausner had the conviction that some sounds are so low-pitched or
high-pitched that human ears fall short of capturing the sounds. He invented and designed such a device to
pick up and convert the sound vibrations that were too high-pitched for reception by the human ear, to a
scale of audible tones. By tuning dial on the machine, he would be able to listen to those sounds that
average human ears fail to receive.
One day when one of his neighbours, Mrs. Saunders was cutting yellow roses in her garden,
Klausner carried his machine out in the garden. Putting on the earphones and turning on the machine,
Klausner heard a loud screaming sound each time a rose was cut. He felt agitated. The next morning taking
his machine he came in front of a beech tree and kept the machine at the trunk of the tree. Turning on the
machine and putting on the earphone he swung his axe as hard as he could and pierced the blade of the
axe into the tree trunk. At the instant of impact, he heard a loud, harsh sound, growling and low-pitched
not quick and short like the sound of roses, but drawn out like a sob, lasting for a full minute, loudest when
the axe struck gradually fading fainter until fully gone. He was now sure that when plants are cut they cry
in pain.
Supposing Klausner’s experiment to be a success, we could be certain that it would help promote
conservation of environment. People would come to realize that ruthless felling of trees should be
inhibited by law. Cessation of deforestation would result in the reduction of global warming. Though
Klausner’s machine is a figment of imagination, yet it reminds us of Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose, who
proved that plants have life and feel pain.
c) The sounds of nature are a warning to man that if he continues to destroy nature recklessly, nature
will one day destroy him. Give your views. (5)
Answer: As an amateur scientist Klausner always remained obsessed with sounds – especially sounds in
nature. His yearn to capture all the sounds made by plants and animals in nature that are unable to be
heard by the average human ears, boosted him to invent a sound machine, which he had a test on for the
first time, when his neighbour Mrs. Saunders was cutting yellow roses in her garden. Turning the machine
with his earphones on, he heard the strange shrieking sounds which made him feel that the stems were in
pain. He narrated his experience to Mrs. Saunders who having felt some weirdness in his words not only
was unconvinced but hurried back inside her house as fast as her legs could carry her.
The next day, early morning Klausner carried out an experiment. Turning on the machine with his
earphones on, Klausner dangled his axe as hard as possible and struck the trunk of a beech tree. He heard
a harsh, growling, enormous yet low-pitched noise, drawn out like a sob, that gradually became fainter
until fully gone. He felt extremely sorry for his act. Then he called Dr. Scott and repeated the same act but
the doctor could not hear any cries. In fact, the pain of the tree did not matter to the doctor. Instead, when
the tree was hit for the second time the crackling sound of a branch of the tree drew the attention of the
doctor and he warned Klausner to move away from the spot. As a consequence, Klausner’s life was saved
but his machine was destroyed.
The sounds of nature are ignored by the rational beings. Nature emanates (radiates) a number of
sounds through natural calamities. It seems to be a warning to mankind. Here the smashing of the sound
machine is only symbolic. It could be any disaster that nature could inflict upon humans if a cruel
treatment is exhibited towards them. Thus, if the sounds of nature are ignored and the indiscriminate
deforestation is carried on, we can meet the same fate as the sound machine.
Ques.2.
a) How would you justify the title of the story “The Sound Machine”? (5)
Answer: The title of the story, ‘The Sound Machine’ is quite appropriate. The whole story revolves round
the idea that inaudible sounds of nature having too high or too low a vibration of notes can even be heard
with the help of a machine. The protagonist of the story Klausner, who is an amateur scientist is found to
remain completely obsessed in sounds. He is of the conviction that there are sounds – low-pitched or high-
pitched, that a human ear fails to receive. “I believe” he said, speaking more slowly now, “there is a
whole world of sound about us all the time that we cannot hear.” He has made an instrument which can
prove the existence of sounds. This is the sound machine.
When he puts on the earphones and the machine is turned on, he can hear the sounds of cries
of pain when his neighbour Mrs. Saunders was found to bend down, cutting yellow roses and putting it in
her basket. He tries to convince Mrs. Saunders about the pain of the rose stems but fails. “I heard them
shrieking. Each time you cut one, I heard the cry of pain. A very high-pitched sound, approximately one
hundred and thirty-two thousand vibrations a second. You couldn’t have possibly heard it yourself. But I
heard it.” The next morning taking his machine to a nearby garden he put on his earphone and turned on
the machine. He heard the same cry of pain when he struck the base of the tree trunk with an axe. To
prove his experiment a success he called Dr. Scott over phone asking him immediately to come over to the
garden. But he failed to convince Dr. Scott on his second attempt, because when he hit the tree a second
time to prove that it gives out a cry of pain, the branch of a tree broke with a cracking sound and fell over
the machine, destroying it.
Thus, we see that the sound machine remains focused throughout the story making the title
quite apt and suggestive.
b) Klausner seems to be an eccentric man but his concerns are quite real. Discuss with reference to the
story ‘The Sound Machine.’ (5)
Answer: Klausner the protagonist of the story is an amateur scientist who is fond of sounds. He is a weak,
pale and agitated type of a person who seems to be quite a crazy fellow. His large head is always perched
on with a hat which is generally inclined towards his left shoulder as though his neck is not strong enough
to provide his head a rigid support. He has a smooth, pale or almost white a face, and his pale grey eyes
that peer and blink behind a pair of steel spectacles remain bewildered, unfocussed and remote. His looks
are like the moth of a man, dreamy and distracted. While working on his machine he gets excited and
animated. While explaining to Dr. Scott about some low-pitched or high-pitched vibrations of notes that
human ears are incapable to capture, he gently scratches the lobe of his ear. “Well, it’s like this… the
theory is very simple, really. The human ear… You know that it can’t hear everything.” In fact, he is
considered to be a grotesque character or a person of fantasy by both Mrs. Saunders and Dr. Scott.
Whether Klausner is an eccentric person or nor not is a matter of debate. He may be eccentric
but his concerns are real. He wants others to realize that our attitude towards plants is harmful. “You have
with a sharp pair of scissors cut through the stems of of living things, and each rese that you cut
screamed in a most terrible way. Did you know that, Mrs. Saunders?” He has the core belief that plants
too, have life like human beings who cry out in agony when they are savagely cut. “… touching the edges
of the gash, trying to press them together to close the wound, and he kept saying, “Tree…. oh tree…. I
am sorry…. I am so sorry…. but it will heal …. It will heal fine.” In fact, Klausner is more concerned with
the conservation of environment and deforestation.
c) How does Roald Dahl show his concern for nature in the story, ‘The Sound Machine’? (5)
Answer: ‘The Sound Machine’ has an elusive dealing with the theme of nature. The protagonist Klausner is
an amateur scientist who has a stark belief that there are such spheres of sounds in nature which if could
be received by the human ear, has such power that it could drive the people mad. According to him there
are such high-pitched or low-pitched sounds that human ears are incapable of procuring. In order to test
his theory, he has devised a complicated machine and took into confidence his friend and physician Dr.
Scott. The doctor feels that he is not in his senses and seems to disbelieve whatever he says.
He explains his theory to Mrs. Saunders but considering Klausner as peculiar and grotesque, she
hurries inside. But Klausner being a sensitive man can feel the cry of plants. Notwithstanding Klausner
having heard the cry of pain in plants three times, Mrs. Saunders and Dr. Scott could not hear the same
painful cry of plants even for once which evinces the apathetic attitude of human beings towards nature.
After having hit the trunk of the beech tree with an axe Klausner feels sorry for his brutality and apologizes
to the tree. He tries to press the edges of the gash to close the wound. This shows his concern for the
nature. He imagines what hat sort of a wailing would be heard when five hundred wheat plants were cut
simultaneously. Klausner invites the doctor to hear the cry of pain of the beech tree when struck hard with
an axe, but the doctor remains unreceptive of any sound through his earphone tagged to the sound
machine. Before the doctor leaves Klausner asks him to apply iodine n the gash.
Thus, through Klausner’s concern for nature the writer Roald Dahl wants to remind us that we
should not cut down trees recklessly. The sounds of nature should be perceived by us as a warning from
nature that if indiscriminate cutting down of trees is not prohibited by law then days are not far behind
that we shall meet the fate as the ‘Sound Machine’. We should feel their pain as they have life and we
should cease inflicting pain on them, else we should be prepared to bear the punishment that nature is
going to give us as a doleful gift.
Ques. 3) Attempt a character sketch of Klausner and Dr. Scott. (15)
Answer: The writer portrays characters of his story in various ways. He portrays them through narration,
characterization, actions, through his own words and even what other characters say or how they behave.
 Klausner is found checking some machine in a wooden shed in the garden at the back of his
house. There is something secretive about him, the way he clandestinely (secretly) guards his contraption
(Gadget). He speaks softly to himself, nodding, smiling and twisting his mouth in curious shapes saying,
“Yes…. Yes… And now this one…. Yes… Yes… But is this right? Is it? --- where’s my diagram?” While
explaining Dr. Scott about the vibrations of a note that is inaudible to the average human ears, he becomes
more animated every moment. His physical attributes tell us something about his character. He is a small
frail man, nervous and twitchy with his large head inclined towards the left as though his neck was not
strong enough to provide it a support. He is bespectacled, and his eyes that blinked and peered from
behind the spectacles are bewildered, unfocussed and remote. From his dreamy and distracted expression
of his eyes Dr. Scott draws the impression that his mind were far away from where the body was. This
description in itself gives the idea that Klausner is different from most of the people.
That he is meticulous (cautious/ scrupulous) in whatever he does is shown by the way he
handles the machines. His insecurity and lack of confidence is shown by his twitchiness and the way of
speaking. “He kept on talking to himself with little words of comfort and encouragement, as though he
were afraid – afraid that the machine might not work, and afraid also of what might happen if it did.”
Klausner’s obsession with sound creates a greater sensitivity towards all the creatures around him. After
having heard the cries of pain of the plants and trees he wonders how he would swallow his next meal
when he contemplates of the cry of thousands of wheat and vegetable plants at the time of their harvest.
The groan of the tree, when cut by his axe, haunts him. This compassionate feeling leads him to insist Dr.
Scott to apply iodine on the gashes of the beech tree – the gashes made by the blow of his axe.
In contrast to Klausner, Dr. Scott is skeptical and practical. He is not overly sensitive to things
around him. As a doctor he remains concerned about the physical conditions of his patients and that very
cause makes him visit Klausner. “I happened to be passing,” the Doctor told him, “so I dropped in to see
how you were.” …….. “How’s that throat of yours been behaving?” When he sees the complicated
machine, he grows inquisitive, and like all others he wants to what it was all about. Despite unbelieving in
Klausner’s words, he does not ridicule but plays humour with him. “Good Heavens, man! Don’t you get
enough of that sort of thing all day in your work?” He is a foil to Klausner as he remains calm and
collected. He is a tall built man who always have a sign of confidence in himself. He is sensible enough not
to contradict Klausner but to apply iodine on the gashes of the beech tree in a meticulous manner, just to
bring down the heightened reaction of his patient.
Thus, Roald Dahl has sketched the characters of Klausner and Dr. Scott with utmost
simplicity, straightforwardness, detailed descriptions, and through actions and words.
Ques. 4) ‘The Sound Machine’ makes us realize that we hear what we want to. Do you agree? Discuss
with reference to the story. (15)
Answer: ‘The Sound Machine’ is a story that deals with the obsession of an amateur scientist named
Klausner, who has a rigid conviction that the sphere of sounds inaudible to human ears has such power
that it would drive the human beings mad if they hear it. According to him there are several high-pitched
and low-pitched notes which a human ear is incapable to hear. “The human ear …. You know that it can’t
hear everything. There are sounds that are so low-pitched or high-pitched that it can’t hear them.” In
order to test his sound machine, he takes into confidence Dr. Scott about his theory and his newly made
device. The doctor feels that he is not in his senses and seems not to believe whatever he proclaims.
One day Klausner takes his machine into his garden and finds his neighbour, Mrs. Saunders
cutting yellow roses across the premises in her garden. He puts on the earphone and turns the knob of the
machine, when all of a sudden, he hears the frightful shriek that he heard while testing on his machine
inside the wooden shed. After having heard the frightful shriek for twice or thrice, Klausner suddenly
realizes that it has a connection with the cutting of roses of Mrs. Saunders. Klausner requests Mrs.
Saunders, “Cut another one! Please cut another one quickly!” Mrs. Saunders considers the request with
suspicion but obliges him. Once again, he hears the frightful shriek only to be assured that a rosebush feels
pain and gives out a cry when its stem is trimmed.
The next morning, he takes his machine across the road into the park. Putting the earphone and
turning the machine on he swings the axe as hard as he could near the base of the tree and hits the beech
tree to create a gash in the wood flesh of the tree. Klausner hears a harsh, noteless and screaming sound in
his earphone and feels sorry that the tree was crying in pain. He calls Dr. Scott and asking him to put on the
earphone to hear the painful cry, Klausner takes another slice at the tree. His second attempt resulted in
the shaking of the ground a bit and cascading down of a large branch, that left the doctor and Klausner
unhurt but destroyed the machine forever. On being inquired the doctor denies of having heard any
sound: “For God’s sake, how could I tell, what with half the tree falling on me and having to run for my
life.”
The writer actually leaves it to the readers to decide whether the plants actually give out
screams in pain, when hurt. It is quite possible for a possessed man like Klausner to hear such sounds as he
has overpowered his mind with the thought for long. This possession of mind helps one to see what he
wants and hear what he wants to. Of course, we cannot brush aside the scientifically proven fact that
plants have life, though it is not assured whether plants cry out in pain when they are cut.